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Episode 1701 - All-Stars Arrive
The first episode of Season 17 of Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox, on September 29, 2017. On that episode, sixteen former contestants were called back for another chance, and the All-Stars found out their second chance would not be an easy one. Intro The episode began with a recap of the previous sixteen seasons, mentioning what happened, while showcasing some of the previous chefs that were passionate as the narrator states that the viewer’s favorite All-Stars were coming back. At his house, Ramsay called up Manda to offer her another chance at the competition, and she excitedly accepted. Fifteen other chefs were given the same call, and they all accepted Ramsay’s offer with Van down for an All-Stars season, Dana and Ashley screaming in excitement, and Benjamin telling Ramsay that he will be there, only for the latter to hang up on him as he had no time. After, a teaser of that season’s moments was shown with old rivalries reigniting, new alliances being formed, and the narrator saying that one of them would receive the greatest prize in the entire series. Each of the All-Stars were escorted in a limousine back to Hell’s Kitchen, and Milly remembered that last time he was in a crammed bus, before knowing that it was Ramsay’s way of trying to get the best out of him. Milly was the first chef to arrive, and was led into a VIP lounge area. Then, he said that Ramsay meant a lot to him and his family, and remembered the pep talk he received back in Season 14 when he was doubting his skills in the competition, before declaring that he moved from an eight to a ten. Ashley was the second chef to arrive, and was excited to show Ramsay that he made the wrong decision in eliminating her last time, before refusing to let anything get in her way. However, Ashley struggled to get her door open, but after opening her door, she and Milly greeted each other. Then, Ashley said that as a super fan, she knew everything about the show, and told Milly that he was one of her favorites. After, Giovanni was the third chef to arrive, told Milly and Ashley that he was from Season 5, and remarked that he still had a lot of pep left despite being older, before wondering how Ramsay knew his phone number. Jennifer was the fourth chef to enter, and admitted how excited she was being back, especially as she still felt robbed back in Season 9, before praying that Elise was not coming back as well. After, Jennifer introduced her to the chefs, and told Ashley that she knew that she would see the latter as they were Facebook friends. Even though Milly said that he did not anybody outside of Season 14, Giovanni jokingly said that he was going to cradle everybody as he was from the earlier seasons. Jared was the fifth chef to arrive, said that it was fucking awesome to be back, and knew that there was some unfinished business as his and Ashley’s friendship had a rough spot back in Season 15, before recalling the argument they had after he picked Kristin over her for his reward. While Jared and Ashley happily reunited, the latter knew that despite the ups and downs, especially the incident mentioned before, but still reaffirmed that she and Jared were boo-boos. Meanwhile, Nick arrived sixth, mentioned that he grew a lot since Season 14, and that it was not just his beard, before believing that his anxiety got him sent home last time. However, Nick claimed that he was a lot more level-headed now, and warned everybody that he was not the same person as last time. Nick and Milly happily reunited, and while the former was looking forward to meeting people from Season 14, the one person he was not looking forward to was Josh, with Jared recalling an argument the two had after the Mardi Gras Homecoming service. After, while Nick hoped for that season to be drama free, he knew that it would never happen. Then, Robyn was the seventh chef to arrive, swept Ashley off her feet, and commented that the latter was not the first girl she picked up in Florida. Shortly after, Barbie arrived eighth, and mentioned how exciting it was being back, even though she was nervous as she was not a huge favorite with the red team last time. When Barbie came into the VIP Lounge, everybody but Robyn greeted her, and the two exchanged a forced hug. Just then, Dana arrived ninth, and while she and Robyn happily reunited, Barbie was not happy to see her, with Dana feeling a mutual attraction, before warning the other chefs that while the latter seemed nice, she was actually evil. Then, Van was the tenth chef to arrive, and revealed that after Season 6, he moved up to Connecticut, before declaring that they could not keep a country boy down and that he was going to win. After, Manda was the eleventh chef to arrive, reunited with Ashley and Jared, and asked if this was a Season 15 reunion, while Michelle was the twelfth person to arrive, and reunited with Milly and Nick. Nick remarked that he and Michelle got along since the last time they competed, but was a little scared to see how stronger she has become since then, as Milly told Van that Michelle was a strong cook. Ben and Benjamin were the thirteenth and fourteenth chefs to arrive, but while the former reunited with Giovanni, everybody else struggled to remember Benjamin, with Jennifer commenting that there were not a lot of representatives from Season 9. Then, Barbie recalled that Elise was in the same season with Jennifer, which made everybody cringe as Ashley deemed Elise the most hated chef in the show’s history as they recalled the multiple arguments the latter had back in Season 9. Soon after, Elise arrived as the fifteenth chef, everybody got uncomfortable with her presence, and Jennifer said that the former was the last person she wanted to see that day. However, Elise said that she thought about the day she was eliminated last time, and declared that she was going to do whatever it took to win that time, before stating that she was still the same person that did not care what everybody thought of. The final chef to arrive was Josh, and while Nick was not happy to see the former again, he was going to make the most of it and beat Josh once again. As the two reunited, Josh said that there could not be an All-Stars season without him. Meanwhile, Ramsay exited the restaurant to a large crowd with the press and super fans invited to the grand reopening. After welcoming everybody to the brand new and redesigned restaurant, Ramsay announced to the audience that he has invited sixteen chefs that earned black jackets in their previous seasons, and announced the All-Star season to an excited crowd, before introducing them to the red team and blue team. After, Ramsay introduced the teams Sous Chefs, with Season 10 winner Christina as the red team’s Sous Chef, even though that downed Dana as the two used to be close before the former became a big deal, and Jocky as the blue team’s Sous Chef, which excited Jared as he studied his recipes, before calling Jocky a beast. Then, Ramsay announced that the winner of that season would become the Head Chef at the brand-new Hell’s Kitchen restaurant at Las Vegas, located on the Caesar Place strip, with a salary of $250,000, and Milly called that reward a game changer. After, Ramsay brought the All-Stars back into the restaurant for their Signature Dish Challenge, and Elise was ready to rewrite history, before declaring that she was going to smoke everybody. Signature Dish Challenge Once inside, Ramsay welcomed the chefs back into the competition, and asked a couple of them what their signature dishes would be. Manda said that she was making mussels Jersey style, which included bacon and beer, and warned the other chefs that since last time, she went back to school, ran her own restaurant, and was still taking care of her babies. Then, Milly said that he was making sea bass three ways, but Ramsay reminded him that it was 45 minutes, not 4 hours and 5 minutes. After, Ramsay had everybody lift their domes, and to their shock, they were given ingredients that were different than what they asked for, with Dana asking if Ramsay could replace her dome. Then, Ramsay revealed that because of their All-Star status, he was raising the bar that year, announced that they would each be making new signature dishes with their new ingredients, and go head to head with the person from the other team that had the exact same ingredients. The chefs had 45 minutes to create new signature dishes, but after 15 minutes, Ramsay discovered that Robyn put her salmon on even though it normally takes 4 minutes to cook a piece. When Robyn pulled her salmon off the pan, the skin fell off due to the pan not being hot enough, and she tried to look for panko breading to no avail, with Ashley calling the former all over the place. In the blue kitchen, Ben revealed his plan for a stuffed chicken breast, and admitted that he wanted to take a calmer approach compared to his gung-ho approach from Season 5. Eventually, the chefs got their dishes cooked and plated on time. Before the judging, Ramsay announced that he would be judging each dish on a 1-5 scale, although he noted that anybody who scored a one would seriously need to reconsider why they were there, and the team with the most points at the end would win. On the first round, Ashley and Jared were up with their duck dishes, and before judging, Ramsay asked the two what their relationship was now, but the two confirm that they were still friends. However, Manda feared that Ashley and Jared would distract each other again, and that would lead them to fall apart again. After, Ashley’s duck marinated in sake with Brussel sprout and celery root puree was praised for having a beautiful presentation, the duck being nailed beautifully, but criticized for an overuse on the sauce, before scoring 4 points. Then, Jared’s pan-seared duck breast over celery root puree was praised for a beautiful duck, but while he hoped for a perfect five, Ramsay criticized the dish for having a watery puree even though he deemed it a solid effort. So, Jared scored 4 points, the score was tied at 4, he compared it to kissing his sister, and Manda was grossed out by Jared and Ashley’s congratulations to each other. On the chicken round, Barbie told Ramsay that her favorite moment was when he praised her skills during her elimination, but admitted that her worst moment was getting nominated constantly, which made Dana and Robyn laugh as they were responsible for that. When asked why they wanted her gone, Barbie believed that it was because she could cook, but when Dana retorted that it was not that reason, Ramsay asked her what the real reason was. However, Dana struggled to answer that, simply said that things were different now, and that they were each getting a clean slate. After, Barbie’s curry chicken with coconut milk and Marsala was criticized for having a heavy sauce, and she scored 3 points, while Ben’s coconut rice stuffed chicken breast was criticized for having two bland components put together. So, Ben scored 2 points, the red team led 7-6, and Milly warned Ben that he was already on his list. On the lamb round, Giovanni and Ramsay recalled the infamous “Dickface” argument back during the first black jacket service in Season 5, and the former revealed that his daughter was diagnosed with both mild autism and seizures, before hoping that he could use the money for more hospital visits. After, Giovanni’s pistachio crusted lamb with sweet mashed potatoes and grilled eggplant was criticized for a clumsy presentation, but praised for a spot-on lamb, and he scored 3 points. Then, Jennifer presented her lamb with eggplant, and while Ramsay praised the lamb for being cooked beautifully, the eggplant was criticized for being undercooked and crunchy. Despite being a strong contender for either a 4 or a 5, Jennifer received 3 points for the raw eggplant alone, and the red team led 10-9. On the scallop round, Ramsay reminded Michelle that despite being 26, she was still the youngest chef in the competition again like last time, and she was ready to bring it on as everybody knew she was legit. Then, Michelle’s seared scallops over polenta and gnocchi were praised for tasting beautifully, and she scored 4 points. Before tasting Nick’s dish, Ramsay noticed a wedding ring on the former’s finger, and Nick confirmed that he has gotten married since Season 14, before stating that he did not go back to women and was married to a man named Michael, even though Ramsay recalled how he met his ex-girlfriend during a reward last time. Then, Nick’s sea scallop croute was praised for a beautiful seasoning, but criticized for dumping polenta on the plate, he scored 3 points, and the red team led 14-12. On the pork round, Manda’s southern-styled pork chop scored 3 points, while Milly’s spiced rubbed pork chop scored 4 points for an incredible protein, and the red team led 17-16. On the filet round, Dana’s dish scored 4 points, and before tasting Josh’s dish, the latter admitted that his favorite moment last time was meeting Ramsay. However, Josh’s filet was criticized for being cooked to hell, he scored 2 points, and the score was 21-18 for the red team. On the lobster round, Ramsay jokingly asked Van what his problem was with maître d’s, recalling how the latter and Jean-Philippe had a fierce argument during the second service back in Season 6. When Van asked where whistle britches was, Ramsay said that he had an Italian maître d now, and made him promise not to hit Marino. After, Van’s poached lobster with succotash was heavily praised for a beautiful presentation, being able to slice through it like butter, and he was awarded the first perfect 5 of that night, which Van admitted felt good. Then, Elise’s poached lobster tail and grilled corn were praised for a beautifully cooked lobster, she scored a perfect 5 as well, the score was 26-23 for the red team, and she declared her as the strongest chef on the red team. On the final round, Benjamin and Robyn went up with their salmon dishes, and the former presented his seared salmon with a brown butter caper sauce. Ramsay praised the salmon for being beautiful, having the right spice and acidity, and after Benjamin admitted that he did not care who he was up against just as long as he won, he scored a perfect 5. After, Robyn was not worried, felt that she had it, and presented her pan-seared salmon with crispy skin and cauliflower puree. However, Ramsay felt that the skin was not crispy, gave Benjamin a piece to try, and they both agreed that it was extremely salty. After, Ramsay gave Robyn a generous one out of five as the dish tasted disgusting, and the blue team won the challenge 28-27. Reward The men were rewarded with a trip to the sky slide in downtown Los Angeles, and dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s WP24 restaurant. After hearing that reward, Milly deemed the All-Star season great. During the reward, the men met up with Marino who was waiting with champagne, and Josh asked who had the idea to put a glass slide on a 70-story building. Despite that, the men took their turns, and Ben took his after some urging from Van and Marino. Later that night, Ramsay joined the men at WP24, and while Van felt like a millionaire, he got confused at what the Hollywood hard body was when Ramsay mentioned the place. Then, Ramsay introduced the blue team to Wolfgang Puck, Jared called him a culinary giant to meet, and Benjamin called it the best dinner he had in his entire life. Punishment While Ramsay told the women that they were close to winning the challenge, their punishment was to clean up the front of the entrance, tear down the risers and red carpets, and clean up the confetti on the ground. Back at the dorms, Elise put the loss on Robyn’s dish, and the latter felt that she really let her team down, before realizing that she was the weakest link on the red team. Then, Robyn introduced her teammates to her tiger’s eye that kept her grounded, but Barbie was weirded out when the former claimed that the stone could talk to her, and Elise snarkily told Robyn that she should of asked the stone about her salmon. During the punishment, Ashley asked Robyn how many lesbians it took to remove a railing, and everybody but Elise was moving the risers as the latter refused to get herself injured, despite having muscles since last time. After Elise deemed herself not Bob the builder, an annoyed Manda felt that they were in Elise’s world, before asking who the bitch thought she was. Individual challenge The next day, the chefs were up early reviewing the menu items when Ramsay called the dorms, and called everybody downstairs. Taking them to the bar area, Ramsay revealed that for the first time ever, the restaurant was offering a special bar menu, and announced an individual challenge before the first service began as he wanted an early indication on who each of the chefs were at separating themselves from the rest. For the Bar Menu Challenge, Ramsay asked the chefs to create a dish that would be worthy of the new menu, the winner of that challenge would be immune from elimination that night, and the episode ended as a cliffhanger. Trivia *While unintentional, the pairings during the Signature Dish Challenge featured some comparisons to the competing chefs: **Ashley and Jared: Both competed in Season 15, and had an infamous friendship despite being on the opposing teams. **Barbie and Ben: Both were targeted constantly in their original seasons, and placed 4th. **Giovanni and Jennifer: Both were the first black jacket chefs of their seasons to be eliminated. **Michelle and Nick: Both competed in Season 14, had strong friendships with each other despite being on opposing teams, and had feuds with strong personalities of their original season (Michelle with T, and Nick with Josh). **Milly and Manda: Both had poor backgrounds and were not afraid to speak their minds. **Dana and Josh: Both had mean streaks to them despite being nice people. **Elise and Van: Both were the most vocal of the chefs in their respective teams. **Benjamin and Robyn: Both had the most conflicts with their teammates in their seasons, and both participated in a team switch. *During the judging portion of the signature dish challenge, the narrator mistakingly says "While Season 12's Josh also attempts to score some points". Josh is from Season 14. Category:All-Stars Category:Episodes